Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, Pablo Querubín and James A Robinson nail it: One can find instances where the root of these distortionary policies is in mistaken economic theories. But this is the exception rather than the rule. Few policymakers create insurmountable entry barriers, hyperinflations or large budget deficits because they Read more…
Here is the Marie Stopes team for the Olympic Day Ring Road Relay yesterday. Each team of 12 people ran a kilometre each on the newly built ring road, between Meganagna and Bole. It was an out-and-back route, so we got to see the elite athletes going past. Haile Gebrselassie Read more…
I’ve not seen much press coverage of the 2008 DATA report which aims to hold donors to account for meeting the promises they gave in 2005. This year’s report finds that rich countries have so far given only one seventh of the extra aid they promised. This year, the report Read more…
I would be trying to beg, steal or borrow tickets for the Ethiopiques concert at the Barbican Hall, London, on Friday June 27. Here is an extract from an article in the weekend FT: Raider of the lost archives: The golden age of Ethiopian music ran from 1969 to 1978. Read more…
Every day, about a 120 children come to get lunch at Beza le Hiwot, a day-centre at near the Merkato in Addis Ababa. Their food is provided by Our Father’s Kitchen, set up a year ago by Yasser and Manal Bagersh who own a couple of restaurants here in Addis. Read more…
Guzzling coffee may cut heart disease – health – 16 June 2008 – New Scientist The researchers found that women who drank four to five cups per day were 34% less likely to die of heart disease, while men who had more than five cups a day were 44% less Read more…
The Cabinet Office has now published guidance for civil servants for blogging and participation in online sites. How the Civil Service Code applies to online participation The Civil Service Code applies to your participation online as a civil servant or when discussing government business. You should participate in the same Read more…
Clare Lockhart in Prospect Magazine June 2008 issue 147 (pay firewall): We would like to tell you the story of $150m going up in smoke,” said the young villager. “We heard on the radio that there was going to be a reconstruction programme in our region to help us rebuild Read more…
I’ve been enjoying a new technique for losing weight. First, eat or drink something that does not completely agree with you, in a tropical country like Ethiopia. Then spend three days as fluids gush from every orifice, like a three-cornered fountain in a town square. The fever flushes and shivers Read more…
The thing you notice most flying in to Addis Ababa is the amount of construction everywhere. This part of Addis, the Bole area, is full of shops and restaurants, and new houses and hotels are being built everywhere. Addis has always benefited from having plenty of great coffee shops (coffee Read more…